Untrained cave diving in the DR

[RETIRED 11]

Is it just me , or do the still shots look like the obituary card shots that they will one day become?
Like the vid though... makes my form,etc look amazing by comparison.

[gschaut]

I was thinking more along the lines of a letter writing campaign to the U of I, and get a certain instructor fired. I don't think there's much we can do to reform the DR... EXCEPT deny them their $$$ by shutting off the customer base. I don't blame the trustees of the university for being ignorant land-lubbers. BUT, we do have to let them know how badly their university is breaking industry standards.

[FW]

Letters to a University should be written by professors from another University, or they will dismiss them as "cranks".

[Curt Bowen]

I was thinking more along the lines of a letter writing campaign to the U of I, and get a certain instructor fired. I don't think there's much we can do to reform the DR... EXCEPT deny them their $$$ by shutting off the customer base. I don't blame the trustees of the university for being ignorant land-lubbers. BUT, we do have to let them know how badly their university is breaking industry standards.

Already written, sent, confirmed, and ignored

[gasdiver]

Letters to a University should be written by professors from another University, or they will dismiss them as "cranks".

Very true. The intellectual arrogance at most universities is hard to fathom. Any cave diver holding a PHD would have more credibility, but a cave diving PHD who works for a university would have a better chance of getting the IU's attention.

[Curt Bowen]

Letters to a University should be written by professors from another University, or they will dismiss them as "cranks".

Do you have another professor in mind? I would had thought professional cave explorers and established leaders in this industry with a track record 20 years long would had been enough. That and photography evidence of course. U of I does not care enough to protect their students from one of their own faculty from violating a multitude of established cavern and cave diving standards.
I would assume, he is not required by law to follow these minimal standards and PADI refused to enforce any type of safety violation.

[Danseur]

Anybody try Dr. Tom Iliffe, Texas A&M, Galveston?

[phillip1]

I think the main guy at Grigri is Uwe Rath, I am not really sure that he is even a cave instructor and I would tend to think he is not. Grigri divers advertise cave divining excursions and they take people on the dive seen in the video on a regular basis. If people would like to send this guy Uwe messages through the grigri divers website that would be great and really cannot hurt. they really do not listen to either PADI, NACD, or anyone at all and blatantly disregard every single established safety guideline.
http://grigridivers.net/homeEN.php

[Greenwood_60]

How about getting in touch with the student news paper? I'm sure they would love the drama. It seems the only way the University will care is if it turns in to a PR fiasco.

[Curt Bowen]

I think the main guy at Grigri is Uwe Rath, I am not really sure that he is even a cave instructor and I would tend to think he is not. Grigri divers advertise cave divining excursions and they take people on the dive seen in the video on a regular basis. If people would like to send this guy Uwe messages through the grigri divers website that would be great and really cannot hurt. they really do not listen to either PADI, NACD, or anyone at all and blatantly disregard every single established safety guideline.
http://grigridivers.net/homeEN.php

The owner of Gri Gri is not Uwe.

Uwe is a cave instructor, BUT he was not the diver in question taking OC divers in the cave. (I do know who the diver is, but choose not to release it)

I have already emailed Uwe, as a personal friend and exploration sponsor about this boards concerns. I am positive, Uwe will bring it to the attention of the facility and some changes will be made.